The LAN switch infrastructure will be used to provide more secure internet access, and also load balancing across the council's two datacentres, to ensure neither becomes overloaded at periods of peak traffic.

The Official Journal of the European Union tender said "the scope encompasses the provisioning of all hardware and software required and the design, project management, implementation and support [that goes with it]".

The contract is also open for use by other Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMAs), their partners and other public bodies, including Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and the Greater Manchester Police Authority.

Local authorities are increasingly turning to the shared services model to save costs. For example, Hammersmith & Fulham Council signed a contract to share IT services with neighbouring councils Chelsea and Westminster which it said could reduce council tax bills by 3.75 per cent.

Microsoft has made an early version of Windows 10 - its next operating system - available for download. The OS promises better integration and harmonisation across platforms, including mobile and desktop.
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